Smart Strategies & New Tech for Turning the Tap on Water Waste

Even Americans in places blessed with strong umbrella sales are realizing that reducing their water impact—indoor use, outdoor use and storm runoff—is crucial. Get started by taking a tough look at your usage, then get right to work.

When they moved from Washington, D.C., to the Nevada desert 13 years ago, William and Monika Clauberg met an unexpected sight. Water ran down the streets of their Las Vegas subdivision, a testament to the superhuman irrigation efforts required to maintain lush green lawns in a climate where grass can gobble the equivalent of 10 ft. of rainfall a year, while receiving less than 4 in. from the sky. "We could see that water usage was being abused," Monika says. Determined to take control of their own consumption, the couple installed efficient showers and toilets, but the grass in their yard--and in those of their neighbors--continued to gulp a vast volume of water.

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A lot has changed since then. Las Vegas residents whose irrigation runs into the street can now expect to be collared by a roving water waste investigator and fined up to $640. It's easy to understand the urgency in a region that's now enduring its seventh year of drought. Yet, even Americans in places blessed with strong umbrella sales are realizing that reducing their "water footprint"--indoor water use, outdoor water use and storm runoff--is crucial. "If you don't have a water quantity problem, you have a water quality problem," says Art Ludwig, an ecological water systems designer in California. That's because runoff from poorly planned properties causes sewers to overflow, dumping an estimated 850 billion gal. of storm water mixed with untreated sewage into waterways each year. There's an energy cost, too: The California Energy Commission found that 19 percent of the state's total electricity and 32 percent of its natural gas was used to pump, treat, heat and dispose of water.

Where You Stand

Ironically, the most water gets used in the regions that can least afford it. In the arid Southwest, it's common for homeowners to dump more than 400 gal. a day on their lawns and gardens. However, the rest of the country is slowly catching up. Sales of koi ponds and fountains quadrupled from 1998 to 2003, when 16 million were installed. These garden products typically use from 500 to 4000 gal. of water each hour; even if they recirculate the water, much is lost to evaporation and periodic cleaning. In another unfortunate trend, unmetered residential wells are being installed in many subdivisions to irrigate vast swaths of lawn. More than 6500 of these wells were installed in Massachusetts between 2000 and 2005; not coincidentally, nearly 70 percent of the state's river basins--the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries--are now classified as flow-stressed.

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However, advances over the past 15 years prove that the country can make changes for the better. Indoor water use grew steadily through the 20th century as homes got modern plumbing and appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines. But that stopped in 1992, with the first federal standards for water-efficient plumbing fixtures. A decrease in indoor water use continues today as older homes get upgraded toilets and faucets. Retrofitting a home with modern appliances--which in many cases are thriftier as well as more convenient--can cut indoor water usage in half.

What You Can Do

If the price of water was anything like the price of gasoline, nobody would leave the tap running while they brush their teeth. Water-saving efforts don't have the same financial jolt that energy conservation has, but the issue is no less urgent, says Sadhu Johnston, the commissioner for Chicago's Department of Environment. Johnston's office faces Lake Michigan. "You look out the window and see the Great Lakes, and there seems to be unlimited water," he says. "But there's more to it than that." Pollution of the lake through storm runoff is a major concern for Chicago, which is why this year alone the city is distributing 5000 rain barrels made from recycled materials, to divert water from storm sewers to backyards. On a smaller scale, clients of Milwaukee-based landscape architect Rosheen Styczinski are keeping her busy designing rain gardens, which reduce a home's runoff by absorbing storm water.

Such creative outdoor solutions are at the frontier of water conservation. Amy Vickers, a water consultant who wrote the efficient-plumbing standards for the Energy Policy Act of 1992, points out that even miserly, high-tech irrigation of a thirsty lawn creates prob-lems in dry regions. "I'm a big believer in water-efficiency technology," she says, "but we have to be aware of its limits. We need water conservation, not just water efficiency."

Monika Clauberg found an inspired alternative for her Las Vegas yard during hikes through Death Valley and Red Rock Canyon, where she saw beautiful plants such as chaparral sage and desert marigold that were adapted to dry climates. Back home, she tore out the lawn, planted some trees and started scattering seeds. Was it a sacrifice? Not really. The result was a 50 percent cut in water bills--and a lush, grass-free and award-winning desert landscape.

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